Pratibha kin named in murder case

OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Nagpur, June 7: A Jalgaon court today named former President Pratibha Patil’s younger brother as an accused in the 2005 murder of the then district Congress chief.

In a four-line order under Section 319 of the CrPC, additional session judge D.J. Shegaonkar said “a cognisable offence under Sections 302 (murder) and 120(B) of the IPC is taken against Gajendra Narayan Patil and (former MLA) Ulhas Vasudev Patil and that the two would be tried in the court afresh.”

Gajendra was termed a mastermind by two persons arrested in the killing of Professor Vishram, a Congress leader who had defeated Gajendra by a thin margin in the Jalgaon district Congress committee elections.

Vishram was hacked to death soon after, triggering speculation of a political rivalry gone bitter.

His wife Rajni had alleged that her husband’s murder was a political conspiracy and that the investigators should probe Gajendra’s role in it.